Friday, May 29, 2009

Comet Seastar

Linckia or Comet Seastar
(Linckia
sp.)

Photo by Gerick Bergsma

Throughout the tropical Indopacific

Linckia are found on reef flats.

Linckia seastars consume detritus, algae and microbes.

Linckia
seastars have amazing abilities to regenerate body parts. If attacked,
a seastar may sever one of its legs to escape from a predator and later
regrow it. They are also able to asexually reproduce by severing legs,
which regrow into new seastars.